


At Sherrinford’s  Estate

by Lionessinthedark



Series: Sherlock's and John's challenges [9]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Dom John, Dom Sherlock, Johnlock-Freeform, Light BDSM, Light Dom/sub, M/M, Post-His Last Vow, Sex, Sub John, Sub Sherlock, mostly plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-08
Updated: 2015-07-08
Packaged: 2018-04-08 09:15:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4299156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lionessinthedark/pseuds/Lionessinthedark
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A lot of work to do........an unexpected friend....... and a vow.......... and a mistake?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter one

**Author's Note:**

> When John and Sherlock are at the Estate they are described as “Johnny” and “Shirley” as long as they are in their roles and people might be watching. When they are performing they are “John” and “Sherlock”. And when they are not watched by others they are “John” and “Sherlock” again.

Finally they were on their way to Croatia to Sherrinford’s vast and very secured estate in Croatia. The days before they had been busy packing and remembering everything and getting rid of all the evidence of Sherlock’s chemical production.

Remembering everything - getting all their stuff packed and partly send and partly brought by themselves wasn’t the worst part. The worst part was that Sherlock had to stay in his role as Shirley the whole time without any exception. He would have to be Shirley totally. It would be fatal if he slipped out of his role just one second….even in their own quarters at the Estate. There was a risk that they would be monitored by Sherrinford’s security team even in their sleep. John would have to be Johnny the whole time too, but it would not be so difficult for him. In Berlin Sherlock could at least slip out of his role in their own apartment.

John had thought that the mere thought of Sherlock being so easy to handle as Shirley would have been a dream come true, but he found out...and of course without mentioning it to Sherlock....that he missed Sherlock being Sherlock. And it wasn’t easy to know without saying it that there was a danger in Sherlock burying his true self somewhere in his Mind Palace and John really hoped that if they survived Sherlock would be able to find himself again. John knew as a doctor, even though not being a psychiatrist that if a person did put on a role long enough, that role could be the true personality.  
And John missed Sherlock.....not that he had had him in a relationship for that long before they had to be Johnny and Shirley, but John could easily imagine his prior relationship...his friendship....with Sherlock, before his own marriage and now spiced up with the romantic/sexual part too. Perfect! Sherlock would be all he needed....but John had a little nagging doubt: could he be all that Sherlock needed?

As they got out of the plane and were re-united with their luggage again, Sherlock ran into the first obstacle. The security found it very suspicious that he should need so much make up, grooming products and nail polish when they already had their things for performance send beforehand. Sherlock.... in full Shirley-mode ...... asked for “a fellow woman from security” and as she came, they were soon discussing mineral make up: “Youngblood” versus “Jane Iredale” or Shirley’s favourite “Idun” from Sweden. And as Shirley gave the woman one of her spare hyped Channel nail-polish, they could have smuggled dynamite or cans containing DDT into the estate. No one would have thought that it would be anything else than what was written on the labels. A lot of Shirley’s make up was certainly not what it said on the labels though.....together they would make the very potent poison and the just as potent anti-dote, that Sherlock had developed.  
_________________________  
Once settled in their rooms at the Estate Sherlock and John went to the theatre-room to look at their pieces of scenery that had been sent prior and to discuss when and what they should perform. Of course they had suggestions, but they knew that “the customer decides”......and that they would have to talk to Sherrinford too. Something that Sherlock feared. What if their cower was blown? What if Sherrinford saw right through their disguises and what if Sherrinford was just as good at observing as Sherlock? And that would not be the only obstacle...they would have to improvise how to get that poison into the people on the Estate. 

Preferably only in Sherrinford and his fellow companions called “The Twenty”. Those people who in reality ruled the world, or at least most of it. Their influence in China and Japan was small, but they partly ruled the United States, Russia, Eastern Europe, South America, Africa and Australia. Mycroft kept them partly out of Great Britain and Western Europe but only because Sherrinford sort of allowed it. Mycroft was his brother after all even if they disagreed in certain topics. “Total World Hegemony” would be one of them!  
Their only goal was to secure their own power and earn money. Like that they had stopped progress in development of cures against cancer, Ebola, West Nile fever and heart diseases. There were more to gain by selling inadequate medicine.  
They had stopped developments in more nutritious crops that could grow with lesser water and thus fight starvation. There were more gain in owning the organizations that “helped” the victims and the factories that provided the food sent to the starving countries at high costs. They had their tendrils in scientific investigations, stock markets, universities, governments and they could make the world economy collapse if they wanted. And the head of them all was Sherrinford who used his vast intelligence to control it all. 

Well – “cross that bridge when you get to it” – Johnny’s and Shirley’s first meeting would be with the coordinator and then they had to look around and scout the premises. It was huge with its own airfield, the house that could only be called a “castle” or a “fortress”, several other buildings, swimming pools, tennis courts, stables with horses and an artificial ski slope.

Shirley had charmed the security lady into giving her a guided tour (fantastic what a bribery-nail-polish and a bit of a new brand of make-up can do!) and they got a map too. 

Shirley’s: “Oh dear, I’m going to get lost if I go outside the castle. Johnny always says that I’ll get lost in a telephone booth or that I can’t find my own nose, if he turns me around. I’ve got no sense of orientation!” 

And like that they got a copy of security’s own map. It took them both by surprise that the estate was that big and the staff that huge...over 125 people...and John wondered when and how he secretly could ask Sherlock if there was enough poison and actually more important if they had enough anti-dote to the staff.

Well first things first. The meeting with the headmaster of the whole estate was set to 16 P.M. That would give them about three hours or so to get acquainted with the Estate on their own. Johnny asked politely one of the security guards if there would be any problems with them going around on their own as there were places they wanted to see again and were they allowed to use one of the pools when they were not guests?  
They were told that if there were limitations in access it would be shown by signs and as long as all Mr. Sherrinford’s guests hadn’t arrived yet and had not shown any interest in using the pools, they were free to use them. Of course...if any of the guests would show interest in using them, they would have to leave.

“Of course” said Johnny and slapped Shirley’s behind as they marched down to one of the pool houses. 

The security guard smiled. He had figured out what Johnny and Shirley wanted to do in that pool house...and they had not brought swim-wear.

“If you think, dear Johnny and Shirley that there are no cameras in the pool area, you are mistaken!”, he said to himself.

But of course both Sherlock and John knew that there would be cameras.... they intended to make a show.


	2. Chapter 2

Shirley swayed in his hips as Johnny held the door for him as they entered the pool house and Johnny slammed him against the wall in the locker room and kissed him fiercely.   
Then he ordered Shirley to undress and get down on his knees.   
The security guard almost salivated as he saw Shirley’s body.”Oh my....why would he dress himself as a woman when he would look so much better in a pair of tight jeans and a too small T-shirt” he murmured as he touched his own erection through his trousers. He moved closer to the screens where he could see the two men from various angles. And turned up the sound. 

Shirley got on his knees awaiting Johnny’s orders. He was already fully erect.

The guard couldn’t take his eyes away from Shirley. He was exquisite. With his clothes on he looked almost thin but without clothes you could see that he actually was quite brawny. With long, strong and lean whipcord-muscles like a dancer or an acrobat, with all that pale skin just to mark. He had scars though to break the perfection and the guard suddenly felt an urge to punish the man or men who had put those scars on that perfect body. And he was totally clean shaven.....not a single hair was to be seen on that body except from on top of his head and just a tiny very trimmed tuft just above his cock.

“Hands behind your back” ordered Johnny “and you are not allowed to come or say anything before I say so!”

Shirley still just waited...he hadn’t been given an order yet.

Johnny opened his zipper and freed his cock. “Open up” he said to Shirley and Shirley obeyed. John grabbed Sherlock’s dark chestnut curls. The hair was longer than ever but it actually suited Sherlock and the very dark reddish- brown colour looked nice on him too. 

The guard gasped as Shirley took all of Johnny’s above average cock in his mouth in one long movement. Now the guard expected Johnny to fuck Shirley’s face so she would choke on his cock, but the only thing the guard heard was: “Use your hands, Shirley. The floor is slippery. I might hurt you.” 

The guard zoomed in on the two men. Shirley grabbed Johnny’s arse firmly and fucked her own mouth relentlessly with Johnny’s cock. All the way in until “she” had her nose buried in Johnny’s trousers and almost out again. Faster and faster, with only small pauses so “she” could breathe. Apparently “she” didn’t have any gag-reflex and as “she” both hummed and swallowed around Johnny’s member, he didn’t last long. As Johnny came with a moan and a shudder deep in Shirley’s throat, his hand still buried in Shirley’s hair but not tugging, the guard felt his own release came in his trousers. It was the hottest thing he had seen for a long time.

The guard really wanted a fag right now, but he had a feeling that it wasn’t over yet. He could hear the two men talking.

“What do you need, Shirley and you are allowed to answer!”

“I need the pain, sir” “she" was still kneeling and the guard now saw that “she” was kneeling on a bunch of towels. Johnny was indeed very considerate.

Oh my...”she” was still submissive.....it could be interesting! The guard could feel a stirring in his groin-area. And as he touched his cock it was not totally flaccid anymore. That Shirley...he was worth looking at and that Johnny wasn’t bad looking either! The guard would like it so much if that Johnny would be naked too!

John understood exactly why Sherlock needed the pain. They were going to meet Sherrinford and the headmaster this evening and Sherlock had to be Shirley more than 100%. If just a tiny part of “Sherlock” showed, their cover could be blown....and in that case they should call themselves lucky if they only got shot and died....fast.

John felt a pang of guilt. Being Sherlock’s/Shirley’s dom he should have thought about that and brought...something.

“I’ll have to be inventive then, love. We’ll have to perform tomorrow so I can’t leave any marks on you!”

Shirley didn’t answer....she hadn’t been given permission....oh “she” was a perfect submissive....The guard really envied Johnny.

“Sit on the bench and close your eyes. I’ll be back in a few secs..” And Johnny left and the guard couldn’t see him anymore.

When the guard could see him again, Johnny had something in his hands. He had apparently been in the dryer-room to fetch more towels....and something the guard couldn’t see.

“Shirley, you are allowed to talk! I need to know how you feel about the things I’m going to do to you!”

“Yes, sir”.... “her” voice was a bit slurred.

"Already in sub-space?That was fast” thought the guard.

Johnny was sitting on the bench and Shirley had positioned her on his lab......oh...he was going to spank her! The guard was growing hard again.....

“How many, Shirley?”

“As many as you see fit, sir!” was the answer

The guard’s cock got harder and harder as the smacks sounded through the room and Shirley’s buttocks turned more and more pink...yes almost crimson. It really looked good in contrast to “her” pale skin. Every moan from Shirley went both into Johnny’s groin and into the groin of the guard.

“Please sir. I’m close......may I come?” Shirley’s voice was trembling.

“No...not yet, love! I’ve got more for you!”

And the guard watched as Shirley was turned on her back and lied down on the bunch of towels on the bench. How Johnny did tie her hands together with a....bikini-top? ........and slipped a part of the top in between the 4 planks that made the seat of the bench, thus immobilizing Shirley’s arms. 

Then Johnny got himself undressed. And he was quite a sight too. Tanned all over besides his groin-area and his buttocks, so he was sporting two very nice shaped muscular paler buttocks. He was more a body-builder-type. But not exaggerated, just nice and when he turned around to fetch something outside the reach of the camera, the guard could see that Johnny was nearly totally clean shaven except from a nicely shaped trimmed bunch of hairs round his cock. And a light dust of blond hair on his legs, arms and chest.   
Delicious! The guard could easily imagine how it would be to suck one of those clean shaven testicles into his own mouth and hear the man moan. He had envied Johnny for having Shirley and now he began to envy Shirley too.

“Those two should not be allowed to wear any clothes!” he murmured to himself.

And then Johnny did something that made Shirley hiss and moan but Johnny’s back covered so the guard couldn’t see. The hissing and moaning continued for about a minute.

Then Johnny moved away from Shirley and the sight made the guard fully erect again. 

Oh my.....Johnny had put clothes-pegs......fetched in the dryer-room.....on Shirley’s nipples, on her sides in two nice rows and the last thing...the thing that made the guard fully erect was that there were two pegs on each side of Shirley’s scrotum! Shirley was lying nearly perfectly still, but she was panting heavily and a thin layer of sweat all over her body could be seen....even on the cameras.

“Don’t come yet. I know you can do it for me, Shirley. You are so good....so strong....you can take it!”

The guard watched in fascination as Johnny gently touched the pegs and removed the 4 on the scrotum. The pain must be immense as the blood rushed back in the squeezed areas again ...but there was something connecting the other pegs. Had Johnny bound them together?!

And then.....the guard heard Johnny say: “Come for me, Shirley” as he jerked all the pegs off in one quick movement. Shirley arched on the bench and loud moan came from her...seamen did burst from her cock in thick squirts and it continued and continued.......and the guard came in his trousers for the 2nd time.

Shirley and Johnny showered afterwards. Johnny had to help Shirley as she barely wasn’t able to stand on her feet because of the bliss of the endorphins, but as she came to her senses, she smiled at kissed Johnny and whispered “thank you!” and after that they took a swim in the pool....naked....and the guard, who had been out to smoke a cigarette, continued to think that Sherrinford ought to order that those two guys should walk around on the Estate stark naked all the time!


	3. Chapter 3

And then it was time for the meeting. Both with the headmaster and Sherrinford. John and Sherlock had made a meticulous plan for how they could be able to perform so often as possible. Altering from scenes with role-play with nearly just sex and just minor impact-play and to more severe scenes that would leave them with welts and bruises, maybe even bleeding. Especially the last performance where Sherrinford had asked for....and was prepared to pay for....blood play. Nothing severe.....but whiplashes hard enough to break skin and piercings.

Sherrinford had invited them to his own office and Johnny went through the door as the first. Determined to show Sherrinford that he dominated Shirley in their everyday life, just like he and Sherlock had agreed to play their roles. And Sherlock just followed, soft and pliant, almost shy and he just stood there until they were told to be seated by Sherrinford.

“Johnny” did the talking as they discussed the plan and he explained how they had planned to do the shows: one every second day. First one in the morning, about 10 am, and two days after in the evening around 8 pm. Then two days pause and then from the beginning again. That would leave time enough to partly heal welt and bruises. Like that they would be able to give about 7 shows in 21 days as agreed in their contract. But they had never given so many shows in a row with so few days in between, so he couldn’t promise that they would be made totally without cheating.

Sherrinford had looked at him and asked: “What do you mean by “cheating”?!

And Johnny had said: “Make up......to cover the bruises and welts. Especially on Shirley...as she is so pale, sir”

The headmaster now looked a bit worried: “But they will still hurt even if the audience can’t see them?!”

Johnny answered: “Yes..of course, sir. That is why I have to be careful. Maybe even cheat a bit with the tools. Using things that are “softer”, like a flogger instead of a whip or a thicker riding crop so the impact is distributed over a larger area. If the pain is build up too fast and too severe Shirley might begin to “float”....and even if it is something that every masochist/ sadist tries to achieve it is not good when we are performing!”

“I see” said Sherrinford.

“And in that case we’ll have to stop the performance until she has “landed” again, sir” continued Johnny.

“I understand” said Sherrinford and then he turned to Shirley. Now it was the time where it would be shown if Sherrinford was just as god and observer as Sherlock and Mycroft and their cover would be blown!

“What about you, Shirley. Have you had anything to say about these plans?”.......Oh Sherrinford had caught the dynamics between Shirley and Johnny......but only a part of it. Fine!

“Oh” Shirley looked up and had managed to blush a little. John thought: “God be blessed for Sherlock’s acting skills”....

“Don’t misunderstand it, sir. We are partners. We do things together....I’m normally the sub. But I’m not a “slave”. There is a big difference! It’s just.....it’s just that I was so scared because of this meeting, sir!”

“Scared?!” asked Sherrinford.

And Shirley blushed even more and looked at Sherrinford through his eyelashes: “You have so much power, sir. If you get disappointed......and we have never performed so many shows in a row with such short time between....you can ruin our careers! What we do...people sometimes say that we are perverts, being gay, doing BDSM, me dressed as a woman....but it is difficult to do what we to. Perform like that. And it is only a limited period we can do that. When we begin to get “saggy” and old we can’t perform nice places like Miss Adelstein’s Theatre. And from there it can only go downhill.”

He looked up again: “Of course we have savings. But not enough to stop now. And if you get disappointed, no one would hire us anymore! I’m not the smartest....I know that. I can read and write, but I never got a proper education. I actually never went to school. What I can do is using my body. Doing things out of love with my beloved Johnny who put up with my whims and ideas. That is why I’m scared, Sir”

So now Sherrinford would have an explanation for Shirley’s/Sherlock’s behaviour. Because even a skilled performer like Sherlock would not be able to hide the bodily signs of fear....and hopefully Sherrinford would not look deeper into Shirley than to find “Charles”.....the abused and beaten child from their background story.

“I see” said Sherrinford again: “I have noticed your fear, Shirley. But you have no reason to fear me. I know that what you are doing is....art. Some might say it is perverted and sometimes performances in this area are perverted because it is not about love. I’ve seen your recordings, your films and the license that shows that there is no cheating, neither in your shows nor in the recordings. And it is obvious that you love each other. So.....if you’ll need a break or can’t perform more than 5 shows, I’ll understand!”

And then he smirked: “I can always put up a screen and show what you two did in the pool-house! And it is yours to use while you are here. Any use at all!”

“Oh” said Shirley and managed to blush even more.

__________________________

(I’m not going to describe all their shows. If you want to know what they are going to show then go back to the story “The agency, the agent and a job” .....one is described there and then you'll have to use your imagination.....I'm not good at writing porn) 

As they had finished their first show, both John and Sherlock made sure that they were seen walking around the Estate. They wanted the security to get used to their strolls and like that they would be able to find the best way to either poison only Sherrinford and his guest or the lot of them and then get the anti-dote into the staff. That would require someone “inside” Sherrinford’s organization. But whom?

On the 3rd day of their stay....the day where they should perform in the evening....And that would be one of the historical plays, since both Sherlock and John had welts from their “Sherlock goes shopping”.....they had eliminated all the other possibilities and it left them with only the water-supply and some of the food in the kitchen.

Shirley had charmed her way into the catering manager’s heart by eating a lot of her cookies with chocolate and liquorice (an experiment) and sung their praises and shared her secrets about how to conceal a “rather unfortunate complexion”. When the manager had been in Shirley’s skilled hands, she did look like a film star.....a rather old and a retired film star, but a film star! And Sherlock sent his nice thoughts back to Irene who had been a god and rather stern teacher in “the mysteries of women’s make-up”.  
After that Shirley could have asked the manager anything! And actually the headmaster too as they were married.

In their room John and Sherlock did put up a show of Shirley getting rather frustrated over a nail-polish that wouldn’t work....and that was a cover for both John and Sherlock to get the poison and even more important the anti-dote put together. The anti-dote was hidden in the tooth-paste and the poison was hidden in Chanel no 5 flacons. The 2 dl would be sufficient to poison the whole water-supply. If they could get into the pump-house.

Then they took a deep breath and asked the manager and the headmaster for a talk. Sherlock had used his skills as an observer and found out that at least those two persons weren’t some of Sherrinford’s followers. And during the talk....late at night.....they came to learn that no one in the staff was very fond of Sherrinford and”The Twenty”!

Everyone from the staff, except a few from the security, were locals. They had been there from the beginning and had been loyal to the young Sherrinford. But Sherrinford had made a huge mistake about 10 years ago and had ruined a valley and its village somewhere in Croatia, by allowing a chemical factory to put its waste in caverns near the village. As the animals and the children began to get ill and later the grownups too, it had all been hushed down and “forgotten” and the village had been destroyed and the inhabitants re-housed in the nearest city.  
But nearly everyone in the staff had had family in that beautiful village and they began to look at Sherrinford with different eyes. They had gathered evidence of his and The Twenty’s illegal activities, but they didn’t know who to trust and who to tell their discoveries. Sherrinford was untouchable and too powerful. So they smiled and worked and hoped that someday and opportunity would emerge.

As they were told that Shirley and John had plans (Sherlock and John didn’t dare though to reveal everything yet) they agreed to help in any way they could.....even to eat toothpaste and not yet get to know why.

As they left John’s and Shirley’s room with enough toothpaste to prevent the staff from getting poisoned, John and Sherlock put the last things together to the pump-house and decided to make a early morning-stroll, since it would be the time where the guards were tired and not that attentive.

And early in the morning about 5 am Shirley and Johnny could be seen walking towards the pool house. This time with bathing outfits on.....in Shirley’s case a pair of rather tight Speedos – pink!....and blue. And Johnny in a pair of shorts. And later after having swum in the pool and shagged each other in the locker-room, taking care that the guard had something to watch, they left after having waved to the cameras since there was no reason to pretend they were not there, and walked to the pump house. Inside they opened the two perfume flacons and lowered them into the water-basin from where the water-supply to the whole Estate was taken. The flacons would slowly emit the poison during the next 3 weeks and both Sherlock and John would have to wait eating the anti-dote since Sherrinford should have two small glasses with their poisoned blood.  
_________________________

Their performances went well. Their time schedule did fit even if Sherrinford asked them not to hide their welts and bruises as he apparently enjoyed watching them perform with welts and bruises.  
______________________  
Time for the last show. The one in the evening. Sherlock had drawn the blood from himself and from John two days before and they had eaten the toothpaste with the anti-dote. They had told headmaster and his wife what they had planned to do and the headmaster had added his own plans. Sherlock had made sure that there was plenty of toothpaste for John and wasn’t quite convinced that there was quite enough for himself. Sherlock didn’t dare to tell that to John and claimed that there had been plenty for him as well.  
They stood at the side scene. The lights were on. They had just kissed and had been abstinent since the day before. No touching...no shagging.....time to enter the scene......Their last performance: “Sherlock asks John a very important question”  
____________________________  
After the scene had ended and light was off and the audience had left, John and Sherlock hurried to their room. Right now they needed painkillers but as John wanted to remove their nipple-piercings Sherlock stopped him and said “No”

“If we survive this, I want to have a reminder” he said.

They made their last preparations and brought what they needed to one of the panic-rooms in the huge house. It had been the headmaster who had suggested that possibility. They could be relatively safe in there when Sherrinford found out who they really were, behind the thick walls and the iron-door and moist important, the time-lock.  
______________________

Now it was 8 o’clock in the morning.

Sherlock adjusted the camera. Both he and John were sitting in pajama-trousers and T-shirts on chairs in the panic-room and Sherlock had removed the security camera at the door and destroyed the rest. Then he had kissed John hard and had said: “time for our very last performance” and John had happily seen that Sherlock was indeed Sherlock again.  
John had prepared both of them carefully for this show. In their mouths were carefully cut wounds covered with liquid plaster, right under their eyes he had cut thin wounds – and Sherlock had been sitting very quiet and John had ordered him to sit perfectly still and he had said in his most sherlockian voice: “I like my eyes, John, Of course I’ll sit perfectly still. Don’t point out the obvious!”  
Those wounds were covered with liquid plaster as well and they would just have to rub gently with their fingers and their eyes would appear to bleed at the mucous-tissue.

John had re-opened their fresh nipple-wounds, so the blood was seeping. It worried John a bit that Sherlock’s wounds seemed to heal slower than his own and he had asked sternly if Sherlock had taken enough anti-dote. Sherlock claimed that he had and that John had seen him taking it!

Well...time for their last performance.......hopefully not in their life but at least in Croatia.

The camera would be sending directly to the big screen in the dining-room, where a lot of the people from “The Twenty” normally would have breakfast by now. Sherlock would be doing the talking:

_“Well...hello and good morning. Or at least “morning”. We are currently sending from one of Sherrinford’s panic-rooms. We promised you a “show of your lifetime” last evening and we really hope that you enjoyed it because it will be the last show you’ll ever see!_

_Maybe I should start introducing myself: Hello, I’m Sherlock Holmes.....well actually “William Sherlock Scott Holmes” and this is my, lover, friend and companion John Hamish Watson. And no....we are not acting right now. “Shirley” and “Johnny” were false personas._

_If you doubt the truth in what I’m saying, dear brother...Sherrinford. Holmes....or rather “Spiridon Holub”.....born 1968 near The Black Sea in USSR, you can find 2 sample glasses containing my blood and John’s in our room. And a nice visit to your lab, and a few minutes of work, would show you that I’m indeed your brother. And by the way....I’ve never been Mycroft’s puppet on a string. The detective-work I’ve done is done all by me!_

_We, John and I, have been very careful to tamper with all the information on the INTERNET so the only way you could have found out that I indeed was your brother, was if you would get the idea to compare our blood, our DNA. In that case I would really have been in trouble!_

_Why have I done this? Well most of all it is my personal vendetta. You took my parents away from me. Why you sent those 3 agents and threatened father, mother and Mycroft, I suppose I’ll never learn...and by the way...I shot those 3 agents. Not Mycroft...or “Makar” as his name was at The Black Sea. You destroyed father’s brain and mother was lost for me in her concern for him. That day I lost my parents and Mycroft had to raise me._

_Or we could say that it is my vengeance for the repeated beating you gave your baby-brother because he said “Therinfud” when he 3 years old tried to say your name!_

_Or maybe it is just because you and your organization ruin too much and the world would be a much safer and nicer place without you. And remember....it is my doing alone....together with John. At Mycroft’s knowledge I died many months ago of an over-dose in Berlin!_

_When you are testing the blood, then try to run a toxicological test as well or even better: take a close look at the red and white blood cells. Maybe even run a test for ability to coagulate..”_

Sherlock made an expression of pain and sighed and continued a bit stuttering: _“and you will find... traces of a poison. A poison that you would be rather familiar with.....and when you are at it then run... the same test with your own blood.....and everyone’s in your house! And by the way, .....we are in this panic-room and it is time-locked .....because we would so much prefer ......to die of that poison than..... to be in the hands of you, Sherrinford. ......When the time-lock opens in about 36 hours we will be ....dead and so would you! We have been rather ....busy since we ended our show last evening. There is no way you ......can contact the outer world. All your jets, helicopters.... and cars have been destroyed. The mobile antennas.... and the radios are disabled and without them..... there is no connection outwards. Of course you can start walking but there are more than 20 km to .....the nearest village and we doubt you’ll get there in time. And what would be.... the point? There is no anti-dote as Sherrinford far too much will be aware of!”_

The people in the dining room had looked disturbed at Sherrinford and had asked: “Is he insane?”

But Sherrinford had looked a bit worried and had said: “He knows too many intimate details.....I’ll have to find those blood samples. Then we’ll know. Someone....make a recording of what he is saying!” and then he had left.

The other 19 persons in the room watched in horror just like Sherrinford did later as he then watched the recording:

Sherlock was visible in more pain now and stuttered even more when he was speaking.....and so was John sitting trembling on the chair besides him and they were bleeding from their eyes, their mouths and from their nipple-piercings and as Sherlock tilted the camera a few minutes later, he showed that they were bleeding from their crouch.

_As you can see......we are in pain now.....and our blood can’t really coagulate. We have internal bleedings and I hope I’ve calculated right, so I’ll have time to....finish......what I intend to say. I think that ....Sherrinford would have left for the lab by now .....but as you likely are....... recording this, brother mine, I’ll continue._  
_John and I have taken an extra dose. Mostly because .....we do not intend to be alive when the..... symptoms would be kicking in on you. And because it makes us die faster....a more merciful .......death........I suppose you ....all would be familiar with the..... symptoms. It is Sherrinford’s .....favourite poison. It is called .....“The mother of death” or in Russian: “мать смерти”!”_

As Sherlock told the name of the poison everybody in the room felt a shiver down their spine. They knew that poison all too well...and that there wasn’t any anti-dote. Even lab-workers in the illegal laboratories where the poison sometimes was made, sometimes died by accident even if they just had had contact with very small amounts!

Sherlock continued, now visible in much pain:

_“We poisoned ......the food and the water..... supply. We had hoped to get..... out of this alive by only...... poisoning your food, but ....unfortunately this was the only way. Unfortunately..... for your staff and for us! .....And if you are looking for..... the staff, we told them a lie.... and they are on their..... way to Hungary in Sherrinford’s biggest .....lorries and busses. Of course we haven’t told .....them that they are dying, but.... they will soon find out, as will you!”_

(Of course Sherlock hadn’t lied to the headmaster and his wife.....and they all ended safe and sound in Hungary the next day)

That was the time when Sherrinford entered the dining-room again. They all looked at him and he was visibly shaken. He looked defeated....a look they never had seen on their leader before: “He speaks the truth....he is my baby-brother...and there are traces of “The mother of death” in their blood samples. And in mine...enough to kill me and you within the next 24 hours.  
The poisoning has slowly been build up for at least 3 weeks. Indicating that they poisoned the water supply shortly after their arrival. There are nearly no people left anywhere. Only a few from security and they are lying in their beds bleeding. I looked at the surveillance cameras. The watch dogs are lying bleeding all around the place, too. We are totally isolated. He spoke the truth about the vehicles and the radios and the mobile antennas, too!  
I would so much like to get my hands on those two frauds......even 24 hours of torture before they die could be a small revenge. But he is speaking the truth....they are untouchable in that panic room. But there is one small detail he hasn’t thought of. If they are faking their symptoms they would still be dead in about 24 hours. I’ve shut down the air-supply to the room!” And he smiled...a rather wicked smile.

What he didn’t know was that both Sherlock and John could get themselves into a trance and thereby reduce their need of oxygen and the headmaster, who had helped them, had provided extra oxygen bottles from the garages and had put them in the panic room together with John and Sherlock before he had set the time lock. After having done that early in the morning...about 3 o’clock.... he left with the rest of the staff after having “spiced” every remaining vehicle with sugar in the fuel tanks, thereby grounding all the jets and helicopters and preventing every other vehicle from driving. Without the trance in would be a close call if there would be oxygen enough. But with the trance there would be plenty.

Sherlock and John made their best effort to look like dying men, now lying on mattresses in front of the camera. They had crushed down on the gelatine capsules in their mouths to appear bleeding heavily from their gums......not knowing if anyone was watching them anymore. They could both hear the faint hissing from the oxygen-bottles but the sound was faint enough not to be heard through the microphone.  
Sherlock was on the mattress. He had apparently no strength left. John was beside him. Apparently unconscious:  
Sherlock was bleeding from his mouth: _“One last message for........ you Sherrinford, brother dear. Maybe...you.....should.....consider........a.....more......merciful.......death......for....your......minions....surely....you......can.....make ........something!_

And his head fell down on the mattress.

Now Sherlock and John were both close to the trance....the trance that had saved their lives before. But had they calculated correctly and had Mycroft found Sherlock’s message in 221B Baker street....and had he solved the enigma? And would he be there in time? They could do nothing but hope......and it was their last thought before the trance closed in around them....  
______________________

Sherrinford looked at the two apparently dead men lying on the mattresses in the panic-room. He had set the microphones on the highest level and had watched the two shapes on the floor for more than half an hour. after that he was certain that they were dead. There were no movements of their chests.....no movement of their bodies and no breaths to be heard. And even if they had deluded him there would be not oxygen in that room in about 8 hours. And they had had the poison in them anyway.....their blood-cells had been affected.

He rose and looked around: “I’m afraid they are out of our reach.....I can go to the lab and mix something together that could ease the pain or shorten the struggle for death. What I can’t do is making an anti-dote. We are doomed. I’m sorry, but my baby-brother, whom I so clearly have underestimated......well he had the upper hand even if he is dead by now!”

One of the men in the room spoke: “We would like you to confirm that it is that poison we have in us.......and an estimate of how long time we have before the pain becomes unbearable. The young men were visible in a lot of pain.....And I would like to be gone before that!”

____________________________

Sherrinford looked around. He was the last one alive. He was in a lot of pain....and was bleeding from all bodily openings. But just one more glance at the screen and then he would use the syringe and end it all. As he looked at the screen, he could see that the two men hadn’t moved at all. They still fitted totally to the pen-marks he very low-practical had drawn on the glass of the screen. They were dead all right.......and how cleverly and ingenuously his little brother had deluded them all. Hiding behind his “Shirley”-figure. And fulfilling Sherrinford’s darkest sexual desires. What BDSM-shows those two had made........and they had really been lovers, switchers and utterly convincing as doms and subs........Sherlock had played Sherrinford as he apparently could play his violin: Virtuously!......... A true “Holmes” ......or rather a true “Holub”......

Sherrinford lifted the syringe in a mockery of a toast: “To you little brother. To the cleverest of detectives and to his lover, blogger and sidekick!” and then he stuck the syringe into his arm and pressed on the piston and emptied it......Using the last minutes of his life to look at the two dead men on the screen.  
_____________________  
He had been dead for more than eight hours as the sound from Mycroft’s helicopters could be heard.....


End file.
